Building energy

Colostrum is the early milk that a mammal produces for a few days after delivering a baby. In cows, it's called bovine colostrum. A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reports that bovine colostrum helped male cyclists have more energy during a bout of intense training.

Cecelia Shing, at the University of Queensland in Australia, followed 29 male distance cyclists. Her research team first took baseline measurements of the men's performance on a 40-kilometer time trial. They then randomly assigned the cyclists to drink either a supplement containing 10 grams of bovine colostrum protein or a whey protein supplement every day for eight weeks. During week eight, the men underwent five consecutive days of high-intensity training. There were no clear differences between the two groups during normal training. However, volunteers who used bovine colostrum performed at a higher level, with fewer signs of fatigue, during tests taken after the five-day run of intense training.

There are certain foods that I would consider superfoods in that they have a high concentration of substances useful for well-being and overall health. Colostrum falls into this category. It is rich in immunoglobulins - proteins involved in promoting the immune system and fighting germs. It has other beneficial compounds, too - such as growth factors and nucleosides - that are not found in regular milk.

You can find bovine colostrum in the dairy section of any health food store. It is also available as a supplement in capsule form.